Sunday, 20 March 2016

'Correspondence' Old Red Lion Theatre ****

Technology embedded in computer games has markedly advanced
over the last couple of decades where now someone from one country can
physically engage with another player from a different nation, on the contrary,
could these developments prove to not be such a good thing after all where
mental health is at play? The Old Red Lion Theatre’s production of Lucinda
Burnett’s play, ‘Correspondence’ combines fledgling friendships, mental health
and a rescue mission in a really interesting way, moreover, the performances
were exemplary in its entirely.

‘Correspondence’ is set in both Stockport and Syria, 2011
where we’re acquainted with teenagers, Ben and Jibreel who are only
communicating through headsets playing on the Xbox and it appears to be quite a
normal gameplay, but Ben’s inquisitive journalistic nature initiates as he asks
Jibreel about the Syrian upheaval, which
is clearly in a destitute state. Ben’s divorced parents; Fran (Joanna Croll)
and David (Mark Extance) are repeatedly bickering over their son and how he is
being brought up; especially at weekends where Ben has to stay with his father
every other weekend. These conflicts are impacting on Ben’s confidence and at
school he is a victim of bullying and one such tormenter, Harriet decides to
interfere with Ben’s strategies and his life in general. Whereas, like most of
the United Kingdom who are mostly interested in the marriage of Prince William
and Kate Middleton, Ben is conjuring a plan to venture to Syria and rescue
Jibreel as he has fallen off the radar as Ben cannot seem to manage to contact
him whatsoever. Over the course of the performance, Ben and Harriet prepare to
jet off to Syria and lie to the school and their parents of their whereabouts and
when they arrive in Syria, Ben and Harriet are flabbergasted by the severity of
the situation. As soon as Ben meets Jibreel face-to-face for the first time,
Jibreel is shocked by Ben’s appearance and he makes it very clear that blocked
Ben from his contacts as he was talking to him way too much. Due to this, Ben’s
mental state is pushed to its limit and frighteningly he attacks Harriet as she
keeps forcing him to forget his proposal and stating that they should go home
which Jibreel agrees. As such; with comprehensive persuasion and when the
authorities know of their presence there, Ben and Harriet are flown home to
Stockport. Throughout the performance, when Ben is back home in a vastly poor
mental state, he has spent a period of time in a mental health institution
which means he hasn’t been able to go to school because of it. Harriet comes to
visit Ben when he is at home on the day of William and Kate’s matrimonial. In
order for Ben to become better again, Harriet thinks it might be effective if
Ben and her plays on the Xbox, understandably, Ben is a little apprehensive
about this, but, he does his level best to play the game with Harriet. In
addition, Ben’s parents, Fran and David endeavour to stop arguing for the sake that
their son’s joviality increases in the healing process. At the finale, Jibreel
communicates with Ben via the Xbox as he is studying at a London university
where he has been experiencing troubles in being able to get his parents on the
phone and he pleads with Ben to help him and Ben doesn’t think that this is a
good idea, then again, he does his damnedest to help his online friend. Burnett’s
narrative is marvellous as the combination of the themes into one plot is not
only risk taking but how the use of technology could aid in solving some of the
world’s leading problems; moreover, the relationship with Ben and Jibreel is
well established through comedy and emotion.

One found the performances by the company of, ‘Correspondence’
were swimmingly sublime as all of the elements within the roles have
encapsulated the turmoil that Ben and Jibreel are facing in polar opposite scenarios
and the threat of computer games technology. Joe Attewell is grand as the
troubled teen, Ben; specially how his investigative nature proves to become an
unhealthy obsession that leads not only him in danger, but Harriet too,
alongside this, the moments with Jibreel really cemented how the WiFi evolution
means that communications skills are not helping people at all. Ali Ariaie is
charming as Syrian teen, Jibreel; in particular how amusing he comes across
when we learn how much he really likes the music by American singer, Katy Perry,
yet, his patience is under pressure by the arrival of Ben and it shows that the
friendship that Ben thinks he has with Jibreel is not real. Jill McAusland is excellent
as school bully turned friend, Harriet; such as how we see her character
develop from someone we despise because she bullies Ben to someone we can
identify with as she softens into quite a respectful friend to Ben where she doesn’t
turn her back on Ben when he attacks her.

Blythe Stewart’s direction is awe-inspiring here as she has
brought to fruition the playwright’s work with such an impressive approach where
we can see how two teenagers from completely opposing backgrounds have been
brought together through the power of the Xbox gaming phenomenon where WiFi can
aid in this, besides this, there’s an futuristic tale to this too through to
the scene changes. Bethany Well’s design is whimsical as the set consists of
like a portal that acts as Ben’s bedroom and you can see the technological atmosphere
due to this structure that is in positioned in centre stage, additionally Christopher
Nairne’s lighting design is striking as he has crafted it to feel like the
games technology and wires are transporting Ben and Jibreel together into a bizarre
form of alliances. Overall, the experience of, ‘Correspondence’ was such an
intriguing tale of how two nations are being interconnected through the Xbox
games console and the complications that being fixated on it can have on your
brain and its functionality.